DIXFIELD — The Select Board has accepted a $246,000 bid from Dirigo Engineering as part of a multimillion project to rebuild Common Road.

The board voted 3-1-1 on Jan. 14 to go with the Fairfield company’s offer for the road, which runs from Route 2 to Canton Point Road.

Chairperson Richard Pickett said he voted in favor because “prices are really going to rocket.”

Selectmen Laurie Woodhead and Janice Merrill also voted in favor, Angela Varnum voted against and Pete Holman abstained because he lives on Common Road, Pickett said.

Town Manager Alicia Conn said the road started deteriorating years ago when it was a detour for Route 2 amid major road construction.

She said the vote was an acknowledgement and a starting point “so we can move ahead with this project, because at this point, without an engineer, we don’t have a lot of insight into how much will be involved in the construction aspect. We know roughly what we need to do to complete the project. It’s just a matter of having the actual engineering expertise and planning to back it up.”

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She said the town is not trying to get federal money for the work. With no money in reserves and no federal money officials are looking at securing a road bond.

Conn said she will look to see if any general fund money can be used toward the project as well.

A public hearing would be held before residents voted on financing.

“They are looking to start this project this summer and we’ll be looking into our next budget year along with other financing to get this project done,” Conn said.

Unless this project is voted down by residents, she said they’ll be able to start working on pieces of it. “Unfortunately, we’ll have to go a little bit slow.”

In other business

Outside lighting is seen July 2023 on the pavilion at McGouldrick Park in Dixfield. Sun Journal file photo

Recreation Director Scott Blaisdell updated the Board on activities at McGouldrick Park, 38 Dix Ave.

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Blaisdell, who is also a member of the volunteer group Friends of McGouldrick Park, said that over the summer they created two dog parks, one 100 by 100 feet and one 100 by 30 feet.

“It got used a lot and they seem to be picking up after themselves,” he said. “(We) did buy a waste station to go inside there, and a supply of waste bags and they get used. People have been leaving frisbees and a tennis ball thrower down there, as well as jugs of water.”

Blaisdell said the boat launch is installed and usable.

“Big thanks to George Averill, who came down with his excavator over two or three days, donating his time,” he said. “We donated material to get those cement planks in and get the rocks pounded in and all around them.”

Blaisdell said, “Randy Glover and crew set a frame in the ground for the teeter-totter. I actually had one of the seats built before winter hit and have the second one in my garage working on it, and it’s going to be a four-seater instead of a two-seater.”

The ash log for the teeter-totter seats was donated by Clint Bradbury, and Ken Robbins donated his time and his sawmill to saw the boards, the director said.

“Pete Holman donated some logs for the sandbox and we got the logs cut and ready to go,” he said.

Blaisdell also suggested putting more money into the park account for maintenance. “You’re going to have to talk about a tractor of some sort. We’ve put $30,000 in anyway between the dog park, the boat launch and other projects we’ve had going on.”

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